


Change Of Space

by thisislegit



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, Some Humor, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 08:54:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20721539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisislegit/pseuds/thisislegit
Summary: Goku has been asking Vegeta to go stargazing with him for months.He finally agrees to tag along.But only once.





	Change Of Space

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kartraise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kartraise/gifts).

> un-betad and finished in a couple hours so uh gooood luck

At first, Vegeta consistently refused the bi-weekly invitation. He’d traveled through the cosmos in a tiny pod for years, going from planet to planet, seeing the same old burning rocks or faded impressions of light left in the sky. The all encompassing void of darkness acted as both his cradle and holder of his most repulsive secrets. Secrets he would sooner take to the grave than reveal to anyone else, even the gods themselves who may or may not have been privy to the incidents when they occurred. Spending years on this dirt rock had done nothing to quell his hatred, his anger, his self-loathing. All of that information and knowledge reserved for the depths of blackness he’d grown numb too. What good would it be looking at the stars? A reflection of his failures, his demons, his-. No, he’d refused to partake with Kakarot on his excursions.

It was even easier to reject it when the event appeared as if it were a family excursion. Sometimes, Kakarot would bring his wife, and Bulma would tag along leaving him to stew in capsule corp with the children. Other times, the idiot would bring the bald one along with Yamcha and they’d jeer him on only to leave at Kakarot’s final word. Their insistence for camaraderie once again ignored. However, most of the time. Kakarot would bring one or both of his brats, so they could grab Trunks and Bra to watch the harvest moon, or the blood moon, or the blue moon, and why the hell did one moon have so many seasons anyway? Shouldn’t such things fall to individual moons? Vegeta huffed as he turned off the gravity chamber.

He could tell tonight was different when Kakarot came alone.

“Vegeta.”

Vegeta froze in the doorway, towel over his shoulders as his boot stayed planted on the grass in the humid air. He didn’t hear his full name from the other very often anymore, it being shortened to an abominable nickname.

“There’s supposed ta be a comet comin through. Passes by earth once every fifty years. Wanna see it with me?”

“How do you know it’s not a routine patrol ship.”

Kakarot’s shoulders dropped. Looking to the ground, he scratched the back of his neck, the top of his cheeks dark with embarrassment. “Well, I guess it could be that…”

Vegeta cursed at himself. Then, he wondered why he cursed at himself. He might be right. Why did he feel bad for shooting one of his rival’s ridiculous ideas down? His ears were perked for the sound of laughter or conversation or footsteps, but none of them came. He sensed Kakarot’s ki coming here alone, but he still expected to see someone out there with him, used to the rambunctious display he presented when inviting Vegeta to stargaze. Except, he wasn’t being rowdy and annoying. If anything, Kakarot was behaving rather subdued which was disconcerting. It wasn’t his job to make sure Kakarot was happy, but if there was something bothering the fool and it impeded on their training…Better to handle things before they escalate. Vegeta wanted the other Saiyan at his best when he suffered the defeat Vegeta would provide. He could indulge Kakarot. Just this once.

“Lead the way.”

Instead of lifting from the ground, Kakarot put two fingers to his forehead and held his hand out. Vegeta narrowed his eyes at the hand. He hated this stupid technique, but he’d finished a workout at 400 times gravity, and he didn’t have the energy to protest. He placed his ungloved hand onto Kakarot’s, and, in a blink, they were in an open field. He located his son’s ki, and placed them on the opposite side of the planet, further south. Kakarot let out a pleased sigh as he dropped to the ground to lay down on his back. Vegeta let himself down with more restraint, the cool grass tickling his calves.

They sat in silence for a while, and it wasn’t long before Vegeta found himself on his back as well, his hands folded over his stomach.

“Should be comin’ soon.” Kakarot’s voice was a whisper as if he’d disturb the quiet sounds of nature around them.

Vegeta grunted in acknowledgement.

From the corner of his eye the sky began to light up. It was soft at first, but as it grew brighter, he could see the ball of energy in the distance crossing across the stars, lighting up the few clouds under it’s path. The comet wasn’t anything spectacular. Vegeta had seen stars explode, wormholes close, and planets get swallowed by the occasional and extremely close call of a black hole sighting. This was nothing in comparison. What was worse was the familiar feeling of disappointment that came from trying something he’d rejected for so long. He should probably work on that.

“It was there right?” Kakarot pointed to a spot in the sky.

Vegeta turned his head to glare at his companion. “What was there?”

“Ah…guess I was wrong then. It felt right.”

What in the hell was he talking about? He just pointed some random direction in the sky, completely off the mark of the comet’s trajectory and expected Vegeta to read his mind? He knew this would be a waste of time if he accepted Kakarot’s invitation. Who the hell cares if the idiot came alone for once. Vegeta should’ve said no.

“Ya know, I miss it sometimes.”

Vegeta turned his head back to stare at the sky, not even giving the other a single notion he was listening.

“The tail. It was pretty convenient, and it was a part of me, of who I was, but I do like looking up and seein the full moon knowin I won’t be crushin anybody.”

“Had you learned to control it you wouldn’t have to worry about the moon.”

“Earth don’t really have the tools of teaching a giant ape how not to crush cities with it’s feet though.”

He had a fair point.

Kakarot turned partially on his side to look at Vegeta, “But I can still feel it ya know? Echoes of it. I think the kids do too. When the moon starts to get full Goten gets all moody and antsy like Gohan did. Bringin ‘em out to see the sky, to watch the full moon calms em down. Makes me feel calmer too.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Gohan and I used to come out here before his tail got cut off to count all the constellations. For a while he’d lose count, but when he got older he started correctin me on ‘em. I was shocked, but proud, but also a lil sad. It was kinda like he started not needin me anymore. I mean, I knew he needed me, but like,” Kakarot made some motion with his hands, “a lot less as time happened.”

“Progressed.”

“What?”

Vegeta turned his head back to look at Kakarot, “As time progressed, and that’s what happens when you raise children. They need you less for some things, but they need you overall.”

“I know that, but I’m startin to see it with Goten too.” Kakarot rubbed his hand over his face making his bangs even messier. “I wonder if I’ll have to do the same with Pan. Take her out to see the moon and stuff. When does the Saiyan side get too diluted to have that?”

Vegeta had a retort on his lips. He didn’t come out here to listen to Kakarot ramble about his descendants. He could ignore this mindless babble during the daytime like a normal person. What kind of idiot would subject themselves to this at night?

“That over there is cancer.”

“The disease?”

“No, the constellation. Look,” Kakarot pointed towards the sky and carefully pointed to each one that aligned within. “It’s a crab.”

“It looks nothing like a crab. It looks like an upside down slingshot.”

“It’s a crab, Vegeta. And over there,” Kakarot moved his finger higher, “That’s Cygnus the swan.”

“That’s a cross.”

Kakarot pouted, “Can ya at least see Cassiopeia? She was a queen.”

“You mean those stairs?”

“What about Libra?”

“Nice triangle shaped table.” Vegeta followed Kakarot’s hand in the pattern it drew.

“Pegasus?”

“Frying pan.”

Kakarot sat up, “Okay. Look real, real close. Cause ursa major is most obviously a bear. Follow my hand.”

Vegeta did, as Kakarot drew the pattern in the sky a couple times, pausing at each star to embed the image in Vegeta’s mind. “Yes, Kakarot. I see now.”

Kakarot smiled.

“It’s a dog with a backpack.”

Kakarot groaned and threw himself flat onto his back. The grass swished from the small rush of air, and Vegeta looked down to see a spider crawling along his ankle. Reaching forward, he gave it a flick, the body gone but it’s legs left behind. Eugh.

The two continued to sit in silence, and Vegeta wondered when Kakarot would call it a night. Surely, he had to be bored by now. It wouldn’t feel right to leave first on his own after finally accepting the invite. Looking back up to the sky, he saw the last few clouds drift over the edges beyond his sight.

“Right there.”

Kakarot pointed again. Not at the long gone comet’s trajectory or any of the constellations, but a spot in between it all.

His voice was hushed as he said, “I know it was there. I can feel it. When I look over there, it’s like a pull deep in my bones. Older than me. I probably shouldn’t considerin what ya told me about the place, but I-.” He paused. “I don’t know. It wasn’t even that old was it? Everythin was just startin ta come together when it was just…”

Vegeta slowly followed the direction of Kakarot’s finger and felt as though someone dropped a boulder into his stomach. Is that what he brought Vegeta out for? A confession? The confession? The understanding that he wasn’t alone? That even with no real memories of his home, Kakarot had a feeling. Although, it made sense that the man who thought with his feelings first would have this as a last remnant of his history. It was almost funny. Except, it wasn’t funny at all. It only reminded Vegeta of the hollow feeling in his chest whenever he looked at the people around him and saw they had places to return to. People to return to. Lands to claim as their own whether or not it was birthright, but moreso due to the memories it brought them. Vegeta had none. Kakarot had none. Their children would never know, this planet their home since birth, and anything or anywhere else being strange and alien in comparison despite them being half alien themselves.

He found himself gripping Kakarot’s wrist almost tight enough to break bones if Kakarot had been anyone else but the strongest on this planet. Vegeta took a breath, and moved the wrist in his hands a millimeter higher. It was now pointing to a smaller star. Much more faded.

“It’s there.” He let his hand drop back into his lap, and it seemed as every single one of his years weighed down onto his neck and his shoulders. The weight of a lost kingdom. His lost people. His responsibility after the death of his father. The failures he pushed into the dark corners of his own mind threatening to creep out. Vegeta found himself craning his neck to look at Kakarot only to freeze for the second time that night.

Kakarot was smiling, his hand not leaving the position it was pointing, but there were fat tears falling down his cheeks. “I knew it.”

His tone didn’t reveal any of the strong emotion his eyes gave, the smile still on his lips.

“How long?”

“Been tryna talk to ya about it for a while. Ya kept sayin no.”

Right. Well. Vegeta wasn’t the most observant person on the planet. Besides, it’s not as though Kakarot made it obvious what a star gazing venture would entail.

Another half an hour had passed, when Kakarot sat up and yawned. Stretching his arms as high as he could, Vegeta heard bones pop when he stood up himself.

Kakarot looked up at him from the ground, a softer smile on his face, the whites of his eyes still pink. "Pretty cool for a routine space patrol ship."

"It wasn't a patrol ship."

Kakarot blinked at up him.

Steeling his nerve, Vegeta held out his hand, "Patrol ships blink. That one had an uninterrupted light pattern. It was a comet."

That earned him an all-out grin as Kakarot took his hand.

Maybe Vegeta wouldn’t say no to the next invitation.

Maybe.

**Author's Note:**

> change of space? change of pace? hehe get it? hehehehe


End file.
